Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours. It was a wonderful first Christmas with both girls, though Charlotte did sleep through most of it. Actually, we bribed her and she is sleeping all day and night and it is wonderful!! I don't know how I will ever get anything posted on the blog once everyone leaves (we have had a full house of Grandma, Kait, Erik, Spook and Nana) but it was wonderful having everyone here. Enjoy the photos.

Baby Charlotte in the stocking that her Daddy came home from the hospital in 34 years ago!


Daddy and Ella and a BIG Christmas tree


First family photo (and Happy Birthday Daddy!)


Ella on Christmas morning


Charlotte enjoying her first Christmas (and fully partaking)


The gorilla, Ella and Erik


Ella and the gorilla


Merry Christmas from Ella and Charlotte


Charlotte and her first Christmas dress


Sweet sleeping baby


Melanie and Charlotte's first photo shoot


Ella and Lillian's first photo shoot (flashback)


Lillian, Melanie, Charlotte and Ella's first photo shoot! The big girls love their little sisters.


Mommy and her girls


Charlotte just before her first bath


Charlotte and Aunt Kait


Sweet Charlotte

Charlotte Mary Walsh is here!

Charlotte Mary Walsh arrived at 3:05 am on Friday, December 21st (on her Mommy's friend laura's birthday, well done Charlotte!) and it was a quick and easy delivery. The first pangs of labor started after midnight (12:11 am) and Deirdre thought this could be false labor. By the time 1:30am rolled around I realized they weren't, we went to the hospital, the doctor arrived at 3am, and one push later Charlotte was born.

7 pounds 3 ounces, 19.5 inches and a head of dark hair!!

So far Charlotte is being the perfect baby and has been SLEEPING! We are loving that. More soon, enjoy the photos...

Disneyland and more...

This last week Ella, JD and I went to Disneyland and got to see all of the gorgeous Christmas lights, and had a wonderful family day, making sure to enjoy one of our last outings as a threesome. Ella, of course, LOVED Disneyland (though she did not love the Pirates of the Caribbean ride). I think the parade was her favorite part, and she slept through mommy's favorite part - the fireworks followed by the snow! It was breathtaking. Here are a few photos of Disneyland. As usual, seeing the characters excited Ella immensely until she got near them...

Ella, Daddy and Pluto


Ella, Daddy and Goofy


Ella and Daddy on "It's a Small World"


Flashback to Christmas at Disneyland last year...



Also, for those of you who have been asking, here is a new photo of me pregnant. 37 weeks and counting....I feel huge and carrying Ella is not easy at all at this point (you can tell by the photo that she is not a tiny toddler!!) Ella said it best this morning when she shouted at my tummy "Baby Charlotte come out!!" Now, I know she should stay in there until she is ready and all of that...but in case she was wondering, we are ready for her!!



One more: if you ask Ella to smile this is what you get. It makes me laugh.

Birthday party!

Ella and Lillian had their birthday party yesterday (and smart Stephanie convinced me to do it in a play room you can rent, much better than the backyard would have been on a "chilly" day of 58 degrees!). The girls had about 10 friends there (all girls except for Eliya and Josh!) and had such a wonderful time. Though I think the highlight was the cupcakes!

Ella on the slide




Ella, Lillian and Anna


Ella and the only boys at the party!


Time for cupcakes (no crying this time)




Family photo with Santa...Ella talked about going to see Santa for weeks and of course when she finally did - no way was she going near him! So it was a family photo. And then Santa talked our ear off. Seriously.

Going to the Farm

Since the girls really love riding horses and seeing animals we took Lillian and Ella to the farm for Lillian's birthday. Melanie had her first field trip! (At only three weeks old she slept through most of it, but I am sure it had an impact on her).

Ella as a goat


Holding hands and wondering why we make them take pictures everywhere we go.



Happy Birthday Lillian, we love you!

End of November catch up

It has been a busy and fun month with Ella starting "school" (we go to a mommy and me class at the school where she will go to preschool next year) and she loves it! Lillian's baby sister Melanie was born on November 3rd, so Ella has had a chance to be around a newborn and has really enjoyed Melanie so far. We'll see how it goes when it is her own baby!

Ella and Becca - they had a fun playdate and wore each other out, so here they are getting sleepy on the couch.


With Nana in town for thanksgiving, JD and I had a date! It was fun to go out knowing that this won't be happening much for the next few months.


On my birthday, JD and Ella and I went out for breakfast. Daddy makes Ellla laugh a lot!